SCSU 2018: Day 4 – Operation Preparation

Students woke up this morning, not to hear the weather, but from former KARE11 meteorologist Jerrid Sebesta who now works for Taatjes Financial Group. He shared his experiences and his financial values. He explained that you can either live a safe life by following the norms or you can live a little on the edge and pursue your dreams. By asking questions such as “what do you want” and “what is your purpose,” Jerrid stressed how important it is for students to know their calling, mission, and purpose because all of these things make up their identity. He then shared these five keys to living the dream: don’t have debt, save money, live on less than you make, budget, and give. After he finished, the students had time to talk to him one on one and also meet two of his three children, Beckham and Raiya.

Campers learned about Financial Topics during four different breakout sessions. Heather Kinney from Allstate Insurance taught the students about car insurance, why it’s important, how to get better car insurance, and also about safe driving in “Car Insurance Matters.” In the session “Paying for College,” Valerie Knopp from St. Cloud State University taught students how to finance college, receive financial aid, and the real cost of attending college. Students learned how to find safe and affordable apartments during “Renting an Apartment” by Sara Corymans from the University of Minnesota. In “Credit Matters,” Andrea Thermos of Boulay PLLP taught students what credit is, why it matters, and how to earn it.

Students were able to relax and unwind during a longer lunch before their company meetings. Students then heard about two important but often overlooked parts of business: Philanthropy and Ethics.”Ethics: Our Choices Have Consequences,” was presented by Dave Irvin who works with MN Adult and Teen Challenge. Dave shared how he once was the CFO of Toro but that all changed when he made a bad decision. The students learned how quickly things can escalate when Dave told them how he went from only doing cocaine, to selling it, and then finally getting arrested.His moving story really resonated with the students and it showed how every action has a reaction.

“Philanthropy: Pay it Forward” was taught in two different groups by different instructors. Elisa Rasmussen from Xcel Energy taught one and the other was led by BestPrep’s President and CEO Bob Kaitz and Development Manager Shana Hoffer. Bob and Shana gave the philanthropy presentation from the perspective of a non-profit while Elisa gave it from the perspective of a company giving to non-profits. The students learned that philanthropy is the donations of time, money, or goods. Students participated in an activity in which they were representing a company. They were given $100,000 and a list of non-profit organizations that were requesting a certain monetary donation. However, the total amount that was requested from the organizations on the list was more than the $100,000 they were given. This situation made the students analyze which non-profits to donate to and why companies put thought into those types of decisions.

Company C had a pizza party for diner because they were the TQ (Total Quality Award) winners yesterday. After everyone ate, companies met to finish their business plans and to run through them in order to prepare for tomorrow. Some companies used their free time to practice while others used it to rest up for their upcoming presentations. Day five is going to be crazy for all of the students at camp, but it sure will be fun!